


Keep On Loving You

by galerian_ash



Category: Cobra Kai
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Episode Related, Love Confessions, M/M, Possibly Unrequited Love, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 19:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14551821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galerian_ash/pseuds/galerian_ash
Summary: "I'll take you to Golf N' Stuff, and I'll kiss you on the Ferris wheel, and I won't ever throw you aside for someone else, I promise."





	Keep On Loving You

Things could always get worse.

It was a lesson Johnny had learned many times over the years. Lost his girl, lost the tournament, lost his Sensei and father figure... Yeah, right when things looked the darkest and you were down for the count, life came and kicked in your teeth. No mercy.

But when Kreese left the dojo Johnny was fairly convinced things couldn't possibly get any worse. He went back into the office and started _really_ drinking.

He was nowhere near oblivion when the sound of the door cut through the beginning buzz. This time, it had to be Miguel. Shit, if it was LaRusso he was going to lose it.

"Miguel?" he called, staying put. He wasn't about to get up this time, especially not if it was someone else again. Maybe he could manage to crawl out through the tiny window behind him if he really put his mind to it.

Miguel's head popped into view, a grin on his face. "Are you hitting the good stuff again?"

He sauntered into the office, grin growing wider as he inclined his head towards the trophy. "You're right; this definitely calls for a real toast." Without waiting for a reply he reached out, grabbing the bottle of Jim Beam and chugging it.

"Hey," Johnny protested.

"Relax," Miguel said, grimacing, "I already had some beer on the way here. I guess I was also eager to start celebrating."

Right. Celebrating. That wasn't how Johnny felt about it, but Miguel didn't need to know that. None of this was his fault.

Miguel put down the bottle, grin slowly fading. "You know, you haven't smiled even _once_ since I won."

Johnny stiffened. "Sure I have," he muttered.

"No, you haven't."

Johnny got to his feet and glared at Miguel. "The hell would you know? What difference does it make whether I smile or not, anyway?"

"I won for you. And I — I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to make you happy."

Well, shit. What did you even say to that? It was the nicest thing anyone had said to him in... longer than he cared to think about, but it was also like a punch to the gut.

He'd already apologized once this day, so what the hell, he might as well do it again. "I am happy you won, I just..." he began, faltering, "I just wanted it to be the right way, like I said."

Miguel frowned, mouth opening to reply.

"Wait, listen," Johnny said, cutting him off. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I was wrong about a lot of things, and I'm sorry."

"Bullshit!" Miguel shot back, taking a step closer. "Everything you've said has been true. You said you couldn't trust the LaRussos, and you were right."

Clearly he hadn't patched things up with his hit-and-run girlfriend. Johnny sighed. "Okay, so that part might be true."

"I don't care about that," Miguel muttered, reaching for the bottle again. Johnny smacked his hand away and got in between him and the desk.

Miguel looked up, and his eyes sorta lost focus in an odd way. "I don't care about that, because there's someone else I like. Someone I actually liked before her."

"Great, kid. How about you tell me about it later? I'm busy right now." Listening to teenage woes of the heart when he could be getting blissfully drunk wasn't in the cards.

Miguel didn't look appeased, so he quickly added, "Come on, I'm sure it'll turn out better this time. As long as her last name isn't LaRusso, it'll be fine."

Miguel straightened his spine and lifted his chin, eyes meeting Johnny's with the same determination as if Johnny had instructed him to fall into a fighting stance.

"His," Miguel said.

"Huh?"

"His name."

Johnny stared.

Miguel stared back.

"It's not LaRusso," Miguel finally added, as if that was somehow the issue.

"Right, okay," Johnny mumbled, rubbing his hand over his eyes. "You know, I'm a little too drunk for this conversation. And later on I'll be too sober for it, so let's just..."

"You mind?" Miguel's voice was quiet, and there was a tone of disappointment in it that Johnny never wanted to hear again.

"No, I don't give a shit. Hell, I still liked Billy Squier even after the 'Rock Me Tonite' music video. Oh, forget it," he said when Miguel merely gave him a blank look. "Point is, I don't mind. Okay?"

"Okay," Miguel said, drawing out the word before taking a deep breath. " _Okay._ Sensei, I like you."

And Johnny had thought things couldn't possibly get any worse. It was almost laughable.

"Sensei? Say something, please."

Something. Anything. Yeah, Johnny wanted to respond, alright, but he had no idea where to even begin.

"You're drunk."

Miguel shook his head. "No, I'm really not. Even if I were, this isn't something new. I've liked you for a long time, even if I didn't realize it at first."

"That's just hero worship," Johnny said. "I felt the same way about my Sensei, before things went to hell." Thinking back to those days made him feel nauseous, especially considering that Kreese had just been in the dojo, close enough to touch.

"No," Miguel denied. "I mean, sure, it's part of the whole thing — you saved me, more than once, after all. But it's a lot more than that."

"Fine, let's say it is. Let's say you're just that crazy. But you're a _kid_."

"I won't always be."

Johnny snorted.

"I won't always be," Miguel repeated, "and I can wait. When you think I'm old enough I'll take you to Golf N' Stuff, and I'll kiss you on the Ferris wheel, and I won't ever throw you aside for someone else, I promise."

He had to sit down. Right now.

Johnny more or less let his knees buckle and dropped to the desk, dimly aware of the way his sudden weight made it creak in warning.

"You have braces, for fuck's sake."

"Um, you know these aren't permanent, right...? And besides, being an adult isn't mutually exclusive with having braces. Older people have them too. I've actually seen that a lot lately."

The only thing stopping Johnny from yelling 'Quiet!' was that he suspected it would've had an obvious tinge of desperation to it. "No," he said instead. "Just — no."

Miguel planted his feet more firmly. "Never accept defeat. There is no no."

Oh, wow. Next thing Miguel was probably going to tell him that all babes wanted to date a Cobra Kai. Johnny couldn't help chuckling at the thought.

"I'm serious." Miguel said.

Johnny raised his hands in a silent apology. "I know, I know, it's not that."

"So will you give me a chance?"

"Forget it. You _will_ , too. Someone else will come along soon and make you wonder what the hell you were even thinking. Just give it time and you'll see. You'll forget all about this."

"Fine," Miguel snapped. "Let's make a bet, then. We'll give it time, and if I still feel the same way then you owe me a date."

"Alright, whatever. And when I win I won't even rub it in your face."

"Whatever," Miguel mimicked. "What date? When I turn eighteen?"

"Twenty."

"What? Why?!"

"Oh, already having second thoughts, huh?" Johnny asked, smirking.

The confidence in Miguel's gaze was unexpected, and made something painfully twist inside of him. "No. I'll wait however long it takes, and it won't make a bit of difference. Twenty it is."

Johnny swallowed. "Deal."

"Then it's a bet," Miguel said, giving him a nod before turning around and walking out.

Johnny remained sitting on the desk, long after he'd heard the soft click of the front door shutting.

The problem wasn't the bet itself, or even Miguel's misguided feelings. No, the real problem was that a part of him — small but still _there_ — hoped that he'd lose.


End file.
